by Leslie North
Too bad she’d already showered, because she could go for an ice-cold rinse off right about now. She put herself in bed, reaching for the remote control. Mindless television—that was the answer. She just needed to zone out and forget about the very thick ridge of arousal that she’d felt rubbing between her legs in juuuust the perfectly right spot…
Daniel rustled around from the other room, and when he appeared in the bedroom, he was tugging off his necktie, looking particularly unaffected.
“Are you ready to go to sleep?” he asked as he undid his belt buckle, facing the walk-in closet on the far edge of the room.
“Yeah, I figured I’d just watch some TV before bed, unless it bothers you?”
“No, that’s fine. I’m going to take a quick shower. Then I’ll probably pass out.”
Jackie frowned as he disappeared into the bathroom. Passing out seemed nice. A lobotomy seemed even nicer—probably the only way she’d be able to stop thinking about those impossibly hungry kisses they’d shared.
The man kissed her like he’d been dying for it. And the way he’d sunk his fingertips into the flesh of her ass, just inches away from her pussy? He might as well have fingered her to climax right there. She’d been just a breath away from orgasm. The man’s touch was electric, and it was like he didn’t even know it.
As she flipped through channels, nothing spoke to her. Her body was still buzzing with awareness by the time he emerged from the bathroom a half hour later, shirtless and wearing simple black boxer briefs.
Her cheeks flushed. Lord in heaven, of course Daniel had a body that could make angels weep. It was only appropriate that he be brilliant, gorgeous, physically fit, and wildly successful. The fact that he was probably the world’s most emotionally unavailable man was only the rotten cherry on top of this stupidly hot sundae.
Jackie scowled, burrowing into the covers so she couldn’t see Daniel easing onto his side of the bed. Once he was settled into place with a satisfied sigh—the kind she might imagine he would let out after their amazing sex, which would never happen—she turned the channel again.
“Any requests?” she asked, trying to sound lighthearted, when in reality her heart was heavy with wanting him.
“Whatever you want is fine,” he said, and then a yawn ripped out of him. He shifted in the bed, throwing one leg out from underneath the covers. The puffy wall she’d created between them deflated a little, allowing her to see Daniel in all his ripped, relaxed glory, one arm propped behind his head. Wiry, dark blond armpit hair on full display. She swallowed hard and jerked her attention back to the TV screen.
Right when two characters were leaning in for a hot and steamy kiss.
She hurried to flip the channel. When she landed on the next random selection, it was a movie where the hero and heroine were tearing each other’s clothes off. Ugh, not helping! She hurried to turn the channel again.
“If you wanna watch porn, I don’t really care,” Daniel teased, already sounding half-asleep.
“I would hardly call that porn.” The next channel she settled on featured puppies on the screen. Lot and lots of puppies. “Here we go!” she exclaimed, tossing the controller back onto the nightstand. “This is my kind of show.”
Really, she had no idea what they were watching. She just knew it wasn’t active sex and stood no chance of stoking the fire between her legs to even more intolerable heights.
Daniel laughed softly. “This is a dog competition.”
“Mm-hmm.” She nodded slowly, watching as a finely groomed poodle followed around his equally finely groomed owner. “Yep. I love dogs. And, you know, watching them compete.”
Daniel smirked, looking over at her. “You never fail to surprise me.”
“What?” Her cheeks went hot, but for a different reason this time.
“Bad karate, Taylor Swift-loving, dog show extraordinaire Jackie.”
The smile in his tone was enough to make something deep inside her wrench painfully. Really, the fact that he saw her—was actively seeing her—around his distracted work lifestyle felt like a small victory. Even though they had nothing between them except business.
“That’s me,” she confirmed. “Gotta problem with it?”
He laughed again. “Not at all. I love dogs too, you know.”
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you have one then?”
Daniel frowned. “Well, I’m never home. It wouldn’t be fair to the poor thing.”
“Did you have one growing up?”
He scoffed. “Hell no. My dad would never have allowed it.”
She relaxed back into her pillow, finally feeling a tinge of tiredness. Maybe it was the ultra-soft bedding. Maybe it was the innate calm of watching poodles run in circles. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, well, he values work above all else. Even childhood memories.”
She frowned, looking over at him. She didn’t want to criticize his dad—she didn’t know him well enough for that—but it seemed to her that he should have had a dog if they had the money and space to get him one. As for her, she’d always wanted a dog too—but foster kids rarely had much of anything to call their own, especially not anything as unnecessary as a pet. She’d stayed in some houses with dogs, but she hadn’t let herself get too attached, never knowing how long she’d stay with a family. If she’d spend three Christmases with them or one. Nothing was ever guaranteed to last, so somewhere along the line she’d just started expecting everything to end prematurely. It was a defense mechanism as much as a razor-edged outlook. But at the same time it protected her, it also kept her from getting too deep with anyone. So she kept her mouth shut.
Daniel didn’t say anything. They watched the hoop sequence of a particularly lethal looking Dalmatian, each murmuring occasionally about a dog’s spectacular coat or the insane shoes of a breeder, before Jackie noticed the time.
“We should probably hit the hay,” she said, reaching over to turn off the light and TV.
“Night, Jackie,” Daniel murmured, already sounding halfway to dreamworld.
When darkness consumed the room, she lay rigid on her side of the bed for a few moments. Wondering if every breath and distant rustle was really Daniel at her side, suffering from the same pent-up attraction, or if it was in her head.
One thing was for certain: this sexual repression might kill her if she let it go on for too long.
She just didn’t know how to keep it business while also getting what her body demanded.
6
Daniel woke up the next morning at four a.m.
He didn’t plan it, hell, he didn’t even want it. But his body was flushed with so much anxiety that it forced him out of bed and up to his laptop.
This was the way of it recently. And the worst part of it all was that when his brain woke him up early on mornings like this, he barely accomplished anything. Instead of getting a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed head start, these sleep-deprived days were dismal, underachieving, pathetic excuses for productivity.
And this morning in particular, all he could think about was the unclaimed kisses he’d left on Jackie’s lips the night before.
Still, Daniel did his best to sink into a work groove and get something done, since sleep was off the table. By the time Jackie was groaning from the bedroom, it was just after eight thirty. He’d been awake for over four hours, and he felt ready for a nap.
Jackie gasped when she saw him in the lounge area on his laptop. “Oh. I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“Where would I have been?” He grinned, looking her up and down. Her short hair was a complete bedhead disaster in the cutest possible way. Her tank top was askew just enough to give him a tantalizing glimpse of the top of her nipple. She must have followed his gaze because she hurried to adjust herself and ran a hand through her hair.
“I don’t know. I thought you and Grayson and Blake might be heading somewhere to play golf or something.”
“Grayson and Blake might be. I can’t afford to take off an entire week
.”
She yawned, scratching at the sliver of skin visible between her tank top and shorts. “Why? Bills got ya down?”
He smirked. His bills were the least of his worries, but he understood that she came from a very different place in the world. One that he didn’t understand entirely…but he was increasingly eager to learn.
“Not that. I have a high-pressure job. Lots of deals on the line, and I come from what you might call a high-performance family.”
“Tell them to butt out.”
“My father is my boss.”
She grimaced. “Oh. Well, in that case…”
Daniel appreciated her attempts to be supportive, but he needed to get back to work. Jackie eventually wandered off, and he returned his sandy-eyed focus to his emails.
But each time he made a mistake, or started an email to the wrong client, the frustration built inside him. He was too tired to keep going, but he had too much to do to go back to bed now. Besides, the anxiety wouldn’t let him sleep anyway.
Jackie poked her head into the lounge area a moment later, confusion creasing her face. “Is everything okay?”
He blinked, dragging his gaze over to her. “Yeah, why?”
“You just screamed ‘fuck.’”
That was news to him. “I meant to say it in my head.”
She smirked. “Okay, pal. You need a break.”
“I’m fine.”
“What time were you up this morning?”
He couldn’t lie. “Four.”
Her eyes widened like that was the most ridiculous thing in the world. “That’s absurd. How do you even wake up that early?”
“It just happens sometimes—”
“Okay, listen. I have an idea. Just give me a minute.” She disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, and when she returned, she had her phone in her hand. “I was thinking about this yesterday but really, I think the time is now.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. I just need you to agree to go on a little adventure with me.”
He heaved a sigh, turning his gaze back to his laptop. His eyes immediately began burning—like his body was saying enough already.
“Yeah, sure. But just until the early afternoon. I have a conference call I can’t miss.”
“Fine. I promise, we’ll be back by then.”
Daniel shut his laptop, not failing to see the satisfied smile that stretched across her face. She disappeared into the bedroom, picking out clothes from her suitcase. Daniel opted for a quick rinse-off in the shower to maybe wake himself up more. When he came out in just a towel, he couldn’t help but notice her stiffen.
Maybe she was still thinking about last night as much as he was.
He wasn’t sure if it was the sleep deprivation or the residual sexual repression, but mischief streaked through him, fast and lurid. Once he was in front of his walk-in closet, he let his towel crumple around his feet.
His skin prickled like she was watching, but he wouldn’t turn around to prove himself right or wrong. He just wanted to cast the first stone. To see if he could get the water choppy again—maybe even riled up enough to lead to something wild.
Daniel pulled on a pair of briefs, followed by jeans and a casual black tee. He didn’t often get to dress down. When he came out of the closet, Jackie’s gaze was stuck on him.
“Wow. It’s weird to see you dressed for the day without a tie on.”
“Should I go back to business attire?”
“No, no.” She waved her hands in front of her, eyes glued to his jeans. “This is fine.”
He smirked, feeling the same about her little mauve romper. Except it was more than fine.
“You ready to go?” she asked. “Remember, you can’t take your laptop. You’ll be back by early afternoon.”
“Got it, Jackie. Should I call a driver?”
“Yes, please.” She sent him a sweet smile as they began a slow walk out of the room and down the hall. Blake came out of his room then, his eyebrows lifting.
“Wow. Hey, you two. Where you heading?”
“Just talking Daniel on a little date,” Jackie said.
“Why the ‘wow’?” Daniel asked.
“Because you don’t look like you’re headed to a boardroom for once,” Blake said, clapping him on the arm. “Congrats, Jackie, you’re the only one who’s been able to get him out of work mode.”
The little grin on her face dissolved some of his annoyance. “We’ll meet up with you all at dinner.”
“Gotcha. Have fun, you two.” Blake waggled his eyebrows before he left in the opposite direction. By the time they made it to the front of the villa, the hired car was just rounding the corner.
“How many drivers do you have?” Jackie asked, scrunching her brow as a different car pulled up to take them.
“It’s a local service,” Daniel explained. “They’re on call for us during the wedding week, twenty-four-seven.”
“Wow. So you’re part of the league of personal drivers,” Jackie cracked as they both got into the back seat of the cushy sedan. When the driver asked where they were heading, Jackie leaned forward over the console to talk in a very hushed voice, showing him something on her phone. As amusing as it was, it offered him an exceptional view of her ass that he enjoyed while he could. He was a breath away from squeezing another handful of her perfect ass when she sank back into her seat.
“Okay. Secret mission is underway.”
Their drive through Napa Valley was full of gorgeous sights, which Jackie announced nearly every time she saw something beautiful. Vineyards, of course, but also unique clusters of trees, as well as sprawling patches of flowers. Just being around her helped him relax.
He was surprised when the driver pulled into a plaza; it felt like they’d only been in the car for a few minutes, but really it had been over a half hour.
“Okay. I think my secret is revealing itself already,” Jackie said with a laugh. She led him by the hand down a neatly paved stone pathway to a huge building in the middle of the plaza. Part of the building was flanked by patio chairs and little round tables, where people drank coffee in the cool morning air.
On the front of building, in bold black letters, read: PUPPY CAFÉ.
“What is this?” Daniel asked.
“Oh, so you haven’t heard of these before? Excellent. Come on, you’ll see.” She tugged him faster behind her, and when they broke into the cool air of the building, everything became clear.
On one side of the building, there was a traditional coffee shop, with baked goods and curling lines and plenty of patrons seated at tables in business meetings or with friends.
On the other side of the building was a free-for-all puppy play area. Tiny, fluffy fur balls bounced back and forth across padded floors, while all sorts of people—young kids, students, even elderly grandmothers—were in various stages of puppy playtime: kneeling down, petting the pups, or rolling around with the little roughhousers.
“It’s a café where you can come and play with puppies!” Jackie explained excitedly as she led him to the puppy side. “After we talked last night, I searched and realized how close by this place was! I knew we had to come.”
Daniel stood staring at the puppies, digesting the excited yips, before he looked down at Jackie’s excited face. Warmth filled him from head to toe, and he wasn’t sure what gutted him more: the prospect of playing with puppies for the next hour or two, or the fact that Jackie had cared enough about him to want him to experience this.
“So?” Jackie prompted. “What side should we start on?”
“Obviously the puppies,” Daniel said.
And this time he was the one to grab her hand and lead the way.
Jackie would never get tired of watching this. Daniel, on his hands and knees, shoving his face into the furry face of one particular rough-and-tumble chocolate lab puppy. The little critter had even sunk his teeth into Daniel’s forearm on one occasion, and Daniel had cooed like it was
the sweetest thing on earth.
Daniel was so smitten with the puppy playland that he hadn’t even noticed when Jackie had gone to the coffee side for a quick caffeine break. His coffee still sat untouched on a tall table along the wall from over a half hour ago.
“Come here,” Daniel said, waving her over. “Look. He already knows his name. Scoooooter.”
Jackie smiled as she got down on her knees beside Daniel. “Scooter? Do you know that’s your name?”
The puppy yipped enthusiastically, looking between both of them.
“See? He knows. He’s Scooter.”
“We should take him back with us,” Jackie said, nudging him. It would be her dream, as long as they could share the responsibilities of raising the sweet thing. Which, of course, would never happen. Apparently, the only place she could ever own a dog would be in her dreams.
“Oh, my God. I would adopt Scooter on the spot if I didn’t have to leave for the next two weeks after this wedding.”
His words were a cold splash of water, but she tried not to let them affect her. Luckily, Scooter turned his attention to her and started snuffling the side of her arms and legs. She giggled, falling backward as Scooter climbed into her lap, showering her with puppy kisses.
“He loves you,” Daniel said.
“I think he loves you more.”
Scooter climbed higher, which forced Jackie onto her back. She giggled as Scooter walked over her chest, licking her face nonstop.
“I don’t think I can move until Scooter decides it’s time,” she said.
Daniel rested his head on his palm as he stretched out on the floor beside her. “That’s okay. He’s calling the shots now.”
The two of them laughed as Scooter nuzzled into her neck and then began tugging at the strap of her romper. Jackie shouted out, reaching for the strap—which was only a simple knot at her collar bone—just as Daniel tried to redirect Scooter to something else.
“He’s trying to take my clothes off,” Jackie said between laughs.
